What It Is: A collection of essays and articles by or about 50 of the most admired children’s authors or illustrators of the 20th century. Among them: Ludwig Bemelmans (Madeline), Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Moon), Virginia Lee Burton (Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel), Beverly Cleary (Ramona the Pest), Virginia Hamilton (Zeely), Margaret and H. A. Rey (Curious George), Scott O’Dell (Island of the Blue Dolphins), and Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are).

Where I Stopped Reading: After several chapters. I read the introduction, an article about Dr. Seuss, an essay by the Reys, and a couple of other entries.

Why I Stopped: What I read was good. But I’m trying to finish Thirteen Moons, and it’s like riding an extremely slow mule through the mountains with a guide who wants to stop to describe every river, creek, and bush he sees along the way.

Best Line In the Parts I Read: “This is the funniest book I ever read in nine years,” a 9-year-old wrote to Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Another child said: “All would like it from age 6 to 44 – that’s how old my mother is.”

Published: 1972. This book is out-of-print, so you’d have to track it down through libraries or online or used booksellers.